


A World Of Nightmares

by KurtsAnatomy (TheSwanOfWinterfell)



Category: Glee
Genre: (kinda), Adorable Sam Evans, Ambush, Angst, Character Death, Despair, F/F, F/M, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, I'm Sorry For This In Advance, Innocent Brittany, Language, M/M, Paranormal, Psychic Kurt, Romance, This is honestly trash, Violence, Weird, World Between Worlds, stage fright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 10:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5161205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSwanOfWinterfell/pseuds/KurtsAnatomy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the New Directions take a faulty bus to Regionals, it crashes and they're sucked into a world where their nightmares become reality. One by one, they start to succumb to their worst fears. Can any of them bring reality back to the surface or will the nightmarish world envelop them? Season 2 AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Worst Bus Journey Ever

**Author's Note:**

> This story is completely inspired by an episode of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, episode 1x10- Nightmares in which the same thing happens, but for a different reason. There is no other connection with the show other than the basis for the plot.

Optimism was fresh in the air as the twelve high-spirited Glee Club members sat patiently on the bus to Regionals. It was their second Regionals competition and they were determined to make it better than the first where they lost, although they did suspect some biased voting on behalf of the judges. Will was adamant that Sue messed them up as predicted, but Kurt and Quinn got a strange vibe from Olivia Newton-John. Sophomore year aside, the dozen were practising their harmonies as the bus jerkily carried them to their destination. It was being held in the same arena as the previous one, so the New Directions were focusing on not replaying their last defeat in the same place. With a couple of great original songs under their belt, they were completely determined to beat the Warblers. Kurt had scouted out the competition online and had listened to their lead singer, Blaine Anderson on YouTube. The kid was good, but they were better. Santana had pointed out that their performances were composed of just Blaine singing with the rest doing backups. After a snide comment about how Blaine was the male Rachel with slightly less testosterone, she informed everybody that her Mexican third eye was giving her good vibes about them winning Regionals.

After belting out an impromptu rendition of _'It's All Over'_ from _Dreamgirls,_ Kurt began to feel uneasy. Ever since he was nine, he had begun to experience weird feelings when something bad was going to happen. The problem was, though, that nobody would ever believe him. He had had such a feeling before Karofsky had kissed him, but he had still charged after him anyway. Weeks of Mercedes telling him to fight back and culminated in the sexual harassment. Mercedes had been pulling away from him for a while, but barely had other friends so she could actually leave. Kurt had had enough, but was hesitant to let her know that he knew what she was up to. He hadn't told her about the kiss as he knew for a fact that she would make it all about her and her guilt. He didn't need that from her. He had confided in Brittany, who showed her devious side and plotted to kill him. Kurt had told her not to tell Santana, somebody she told everything to even before they started dating. Kurt thought that they were extremely cute and would be so jealous if he didn't also have a boyfriend.

Sam Evans.

Sam entered Kurt's life exactly when he needed him. When most of his friends were involved with people (mostly from The Glee Club actually which was odd) and he felt at his most lonely. Sam was beautiful, charming, romantic and most importantly, he was _gay_. Kurt had never met another gay guy before, so it was truly fortunate when he felt such a deep connection with him. Kurt had finally got to do what he had been missing out on. He and Sam went on dates, had long phone calls and told each other everything about them. Almost everybody commented on how cute they were together and Kurt couldn't help but agree. He felt at ease with Sam most of the time.

This time was an exception. The creaks of the bus frightened him, especially since he was experiencing a _feeling_. He had told Sam about his feelings and Sam vowed to believe him no matter what the situation was. So when Sam saw the sickly, nervous expression on Kurt's usually serene face, he paled.

"Kurt? Are you…?" Kurt just nodded, unable to speak.

"Oh my God. We have to get everyone off the bus. Now." Sam said firmly.

Kurt nodded again, weakly this time. Sam stood up.

"Stop the bus!" Sam yelled from the backseat. Everyone turned to him, confusion lighting their eyes. Puck removed his arm from around Quinn's shoulders and frowned.

"Evans, what are you talking about?"

The bus driver had turned around, to Sam's irritation.

"Hey, turn the hell around and concentrate on the road, jerk!" Sam shouted at the man, who shrugged and turned around to continue driving. Will walked over to Sam.

"Sam, just calm down. What's wrong?"

Sam lowered his voice. "Mr Schue, something's wrong with the bus. It's going to crash. I know it sounds like a Final Destination type thing but it's not, we swear. Mr Schue, _please_."

"Sam, everything's going to be fine. I'm sure it's just nerves acting on your brain and making you panic about everything."

"Mr Schue…"

"No, Sam."

"But…"

**BAM.**


	2. The Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Glee Club try to make sense of what just happened...

The bus flipped over quickly, like it does in high impact explosions in a movie. It rotated thrice in the air before colliding with the ground with a powerful thud.

It had landed right side up, surprisingly. Everything was intact. There weren't any major dents to be found on the material.

But that wasn't the weirdest thing about the crash.

 _There wasn't a crash_.

That thought swam in Kurt's mind repeatedly. Heart beating rapidly, he considered the options.

There were none.

He had no clue as to what had happened, and he didn't believe that anybody else did, either. Kurt looked around at the rest of the club. Nobody seemed to be hurt, which was odd. Usually, somebody was crushed or broke a bone or something. Here, there was no sign of injury anywhere. Finn was clutching a silently sobbing Rachel. Santana was doing the same to Brittany. Quinn was insisting to Puck that she was fine and did not need coddling. Tina was crying into Mercedes' arms and Will and Mike were checking on Artie, who had somehow managed to stay in his seat the whole time. Sam had unconsciously thrown himself over Kurt to protect him, which Kurt found to be rather adorable.

"Sam," Kurt hissed. "It's okay. I'm fine, you can get up now." He pushed his boyfriend off him, but not forcefully and kissed him.

"Kurt, what happened to us?"

"I don't know."

"OH MY GOD!" Rachel's scream snapped them out of their romantic haze and drew their attention to the front of the bus.

"Where the hell is the driver?" Sam questioned to nobody in particular. Everybody shrugged. Will stepped up to the front of the bus.

"Okay, everyone stay calm. We'll just get off the bus and try and find cell service. Anyone got any?" Too paralysed by fear to speak, everybody shook their heads in unison. Will nodded curtly and tried to lever to open the doors. Pulling it, he found that it was out of action. But the engine was still running? Will frowned to himself. _What the hell has happened here?_

One by one, the Glee Club members slowly filed off the bus, checking for cell reception. Though when they looked up, they figured that they probably wouldn't be getting any anytime soon.

"Oh for the love of J-Lo, could this day _get_ any worse?" Santana piped up from the front of the group. In canon, their eyes met the scene in front of them and nobody had any explanations as to what was happening.

Rachel gasped and everyone else just stared.

The sky in front of them was a hellish shade of black, like they were caught in a turbulent storm, but it was calm and silent around them. The trees seemed to be frozen in time and there were not any hints of a consistent weather pattern around.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Kurt said aloud with no response. After the fifteen minutes that they all had just witnessed, nobody was really in the mood to say much of anything. Sam grasped Kurt's hand instinctively and Kurt couldn't help but feel a little more protected and safe. Quinn was the first to speak after that.

"So what do we do now?" It was a good question.

Will inhaled. He knew he would have to be one to formulate a decent plan and so far he was coming up blank, like with his set list ideas until the week before the competition. "Well, I guess we just have to find our way home.

Kurt internally scoffed. That was much easier to be said than to be done. They had to find shelter, food and some kind of method of transportation and unless an airport was conjured from thin air, they did not stand a chance.

Santana stood quietly for once, a quivering Brittany holding onto her like she would disappear if she let go. Santana liked protecting Brittany. It gave her purpose. It gave her something to concentrate on in sticky situations like this. Rather than dwelling on her own fears and doubts about their unknown location, she focused on making sure that her girlfriend was feeling safe and secure before addressing her own anxiety.

And she was feeling anxious. She would never admit it, but she knew that certain members of the club would recognise it. Brittany would. Quinn could read her better than anyone. Kurt was a lot like her in that respect, so she knew that he would guess. The surprise to her was Sam. Kurt had told her that Sam could judge characters very well, and such an ability was something that made him apt to study Literature. It was after a Glee rehearsal where Santana had dedicated her assignment on 'Admittances' to Brittany, confessing her very potent love for the blonde dancer. Sam had approached her when she had slightly regretted expressing her feelings in front of everyone. He had sensed her discomfort and reassured her that nobody thought any different of her because she knew how to express her feelings. She had refused flat out that she was weak and backed off when she realised that he hadn't accused her of being so.

Santana had had a personality realisation at that moment. Her own personal development had involved her understanding that feelings did not mean weakness. From then on, she wasn't quite as frightened of emotions as she previously was. She was happier and a better person for it. She was still guilty of being a bitch, still brutal and vicious, but that was her and something about her that could not be altered.

Kurt and Sam had slowed down their pace to walk beside them, with Quinn striding to join them. Tina was pushing Artie, but was listening in to their conversation nonetheless.

"Kurtie, where are we actually walking to? I'm tired." Brittany enquired sadly. Santana's hand tightened slightly around hers. It was pure instinct for her now. To protect Brittany at all costs.

"I don't know, sweetie, but we'll find out soon." Santana appreciated that Kurt was honest with Brittany at all times, even if she perhaps didn't understand something r if it would upset her. Brittany hated liars and she would much rather face a harsh true than a kind lie. Santana gave him a short smile before returning her attention to the inside of her mouth.

Quinn rolled her eyes. She faintly heard Rachel's conversation with Mr Schuester.

"But Mr Schuester, I think that if we sing a medley of songs about dystopian islands and the like, we will be in the correct spirits to lead ourselves to paradise, being home. Or possibly New York. I suggest Sam and Noah lead the group in a haunting rendition of 'The Blanket of Night' by Elbow. Their haunting melodies plus Sam and Noah's rough vocals will see us through and effectively ensure our survival."

"Rachel, please."

"No, Mr Schuester, studies have proven that in desperate situations, music helps to contain the mind and increase survival chances tenfold." Mr Schuester gritted his teeth and walked quickly in front of her, leaving Quinn to sort her out.

"Rachel, nobody appreciates your 'sing-and-everything-will-be-fine-' attitude at the best of times, which this clearly isn't. So _please_ , for the love of that sweater, stop moaning about singing and concentrate on helping find a way out of this."

"Quinn, don't put your jealousy of my superior talent ahead of the team's needs." Rachel strutted away, nowhere nearly as effectively as Kurt and Quinn could do it.

Suddenly, Quinn stopped in her tracks, frozen by the sight ahead of her. Eyes filling with tears, she shook her head, refusing to believe that she was living and breathing at that moment. She had to be dreaming, didn't she?

"Quinn, what's wrong?" Sam frowned at her. Puck darted to her side and looked where she was staring.

"Oh my God."

One by one, the Glee Club saw what Quinn and Puck had seen.

"I don't believe it." Kurt whispered painfully.

A high, clear voice rang out in the darkness.

"Mommy?"


	3. Parental Guidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar figure brings back some painful memories for two of our own...

"Mommy?"

"Beth." Quinn whispered, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. Puck looked incredibly shaken, as did Kurt and Mercedes. Brittany was frowning, as though she had just asked herself a silent question. Santana was gripping her tightly, allowing herself to need some grounding from her girlfriend.

"Daddy?" Puck paled. Beth recognised him as her father. But why was she here?

"Mommy, Daddy, please help me. I don't know where I am and I'm scared."

Beth looked about six years old, with Quinn's unmistakeable features glaring out at her. It made Quinn more unsettled to see so much of herself in her daughter. Puck looked like he just wanted to crumple into pieces on the floor.

She had not wanted to give her daughter up. She had wanted to keep her with everything that she had. So did Puck. But Quinn knew that she had had to choose the difficult, selfless decision over the easy one which would have resulted in her daughter suffering through her teenage drama and not having a good quality of life. Quinn would have had to drop out of high school and devoted her entire life to looking after her daughter. She did not want that for herself or for Beth. She wanted both to be happy.

"Beth." Quinn muttered, so everyone could hear this time. She broke free from Puck and tried to run to her, but stopped, as though she had been blocked by an invisible barricade. She struggled against the air, as did Puck, before they realised they couldn't get through. Beth frowned at them.

"Why aren't you helping me, Mommy? Do you not love me?" Kurt winced as he could physically see the pain on Quinn's face. It was a horrible sight to see one of his friends in pain, but even worse to not know how to help. Nobody knew what to do. They just stood, aghast at the little girl stood in front of them all, unreachable by anybody.

"We both love you, Beth. We love you so much." Quinn explained in desperation. Kurt wondered if she realised what he did; that it wasn't actually Beth. How could she have been in the same hellish wonderland that they had stumbled across at the exact same time? They didn't even know where they were, so how could Beth have appeared? Kurt gazed up at the blackish sky, noting the surrealism of everything.

It wasn't real.

"Quinn, she's not real." Kurt whispered from her left. Quinn glared at him, as though he had just struck her powerfully across the face.

"How can you say that, Kurt?! She is standing right there and I can't do anything to help her."

"Quinn, think about this logically. Beth is only five months old. She isn't talking yet. So how is Beth standing, talking and maturing in front of you? She's not real." Kurt explained gently. How could she not see that? He guessed that she was blinded by pain and love for her daughter. The endeavour of giving her away to Shelby hurt her more than anything and Kurt knew that. It could not have been easy for her to deal with the reappearance and accusations of her newborn baby.

"You don't love me," Beth snapped harshly, so harshly that it shouldn't have come from a child's mouth at all. "If you loved me, you would have kept me and not gave me away to my new Mommy." Her words struck Quinn like knives to the heart. The tears were streaming down her face now with no signs of stopping. Puck said and did nothing, too shocked and distraught to move.

"That's not true!" Quinn screamed at the girl, whose eyes welled up at the sound. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry! Daddy and I both love you very much. We wanted a better life for you and we couldn't have given you happiness."

"No. You didn't want me. You don't love me. Simple. Anyway, I'm much happier with my new Mommy that I would have ever been with you and Daddy. She can look after me and she's not a Trainwreck." Her last words were sent in Puck's direction, the latter visibly tensing and shaking with rage. Beth smiled sweetly at them both.

"Both of you listen to me! Stop talking to her. She's not real. The real Beth is tucked up in her crib with Shelby, soundly asleep. Don't believe a word she says, it's not true and you both know that! Please, Quinn. Puck. Don't torture yourselves over something that isn't real." Kurt tried again.

Beth smiled. "I am real, Mommy. Don't listen to Kurt." Quinn frowned and tilted her head. Kurt nodded as Quinn just got it.

 _You've never met Kurt before. How do you know who he is?_ She thought to herself.

"You're…not…real. NO YOU'RE NOT REAL!" Quinn roared at the smiling girl. Quinn looked to Puck, who repeated her words.

"You're not real, Beth. We _do_ love you."

The little girl pouted sadly and promptly disappeared, several emerald beams of light exploding from where she stood. She was nothing but dissipating air now, but the lasting effects of her haunting image would stay with Quinn and Puck until they both died.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry for not listening to you. You were right! But…why was she here and why now?" Quinn sobbed, hugging Kurt tightly. He steadied her into Puck's strong hold and relaxed into Sam's.

"I don't know sweetheart. The only viable conclusion I can think of is that this is a supernatural world and things are appearing to us which couldn't possibly be here to have an effect on us. We'll see if anything else comes along and try to get rid of that, too. Everyone, brace yourselves, you may very well experience something which scares or upsets you, but it won't be real. Just think that over and over again and you'll get through it. I guess we just keep walking and hope we find something good."

And so they walked on and on, trying to find somewhere to sleep for the night (which seemed to drag on perpetually in their state of hell. Occasionally, they would hear Quinn sniffle and whisper heatedly with Puck, but they banded together in their times of need until the next demon had to be tackled.

Kurt grasped Sam's hand tighter as he felt waves of nausea wash over him. He hadn't eaten all day, wanting to be in prime shape for their competition, so he must be surely feeling the effects of his hunger.

"You okay, baby?" Sam leaned down to Kurt's ear. Kurt nodded back at him, concealing everything he was thinking.

_If nightmares are today's theme, I am not looking forward to whatever greets me. It'll probably be…him and I won't be able to handle it and then Sam will think I'm insane and leave. It's all too much for me to handle and I don't think that it'll leave out my very worst nightmares. Look at Quinn, she's barely standing. I don't want Sam to see me like that. But I guess that I've got no choice in the matter. I just have to try and help everybody band together and try and find a way to get back to Lima. We've missed Regionals, which truly sucks, but it's the least of my worries right now. Kurt, focus on survival and not going Lady Macbeth crazy, okay?_

Kurt smiled up at his doting boyfriend as he slowly tried to convince himself that they would all be alright.


	4. Choke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightmare world plagues a third Gleek...

To Rachel, it seemed like she was walking for hours before they finally stopped for a break. Even though she personally had reached the height of her physical fitness, she was still a little fatigued. She had been rehearsing their Regionals numbers constantly in her bedroom the night before the competition and her aching limbs had paid the price for her lengthy preparation regime.

She was also quite worried about one of her nightmares cropping up along the way. She did not really think that Quinn would be the only one to be on the receiving end of such a harsh, cruel nightmare, so she was watching out for anything that might be distinctly related to one of her worst fears. She had seen no birds, no tarantulas and no lizards so she figured that she was safe when it came to the animal kingdom.

Looking around her surroundings, she saw her fellow Glee Clubbers rubbing their aching muscles or talking to their significant others, worried expressions on their faces. Finn was in a deep conversation with Mercedes and Puck, so Rachel walked over to where Mike was sat with his head in his hands, looking for some solace in her time of need.

"Hello, Mike. How are you faring with all of this going on?" Rachel inquired, smiling at him even though he couldn't see her.

There was no reply. She thought for a moment that Mike could have been asleep, so she gently poked his bicep to no avail.

 _Strange_ , she thought to herself. Well, it wasn't _that_ strange. Her peers often excluded her from conversations, but they never actively ignored her. She knew she could be abrasive and critical at times and her classmates did not respond well to creative instruction, so they resented her for it. Above everything, she knew that Mr Schuester would never pass up an opportunity to talk to his second favourite student (Rachel often assumed that Finn was above her, which was just fine).

"Mr Schuester?" She sat down beside her Glee instructor and Spanish teacher, looking for some sympathy plus company. It got pretty lonely when nobody truly liked you besides your boyfriend and your teacher.

No reply.

"Mr Schuester? Will?" She tried again, but his face was passive, as though she wasn't even there.

Wait a second.

 _As though she wasn't even there_.

"That's it!" Rachel cried, frowning. "I'm invisible! But…I've never actually had a nightmare about being invisible. That's odd."

Before she could comprehend her next movements, the world spun rapidly around her. Her Glee Clubbers vanished into thin air and a long, red curtain was drawn across the space in front of her.

 _Okay, this was all just a dream,_ Rachel concluded. _I fell asleep on the bus to Regionals and now I have to go out there and perform. It's a little short notice but it'll be okay. I know these lyrics and steps as if they were facts about Barbra. I can do this. I wrote 'Get It Right' for me and I know this. I can win this for us._

Rachel felt an unerring sense of panic as the curtain sluggishly revealed her unready position. Glancing down, she realised that she wasn't in costume of any kind. She didn't have a microphone and she hadn't warmed up yet. Everything was beginning to go from good to extremely catastrophic in a number of seconds. She gazed out meekly into the audience, seeing a few shadowy heads, but not recognising anybody, the bright lights too much for her vision to evade.

Rachel hesitantly stepped out onto the stage, waiting for the preliminary applause from the eager audience, which did not arrive. She stood awkwardly for a few seconds before looking to her right where the piano would promptly sound from. She waited and waited for the chord that was about to strike, signalling her entrance into the original song. She tried to spot the opposing teams in the audience. She figured that she would not be able to miss the preppy style of the Warblers anywhere that they went, so it a mystery to her as to why she couldn't make them out.

After realising that the sound was not going to erupt from the wings, she took matters into her own heads. The judges were soon to be impressed with her instinctual initiative of performing her song acapella for them and would surely award the New Directions with a place at Nationals.

She opened her mouth as the first lyrics came into her mind.

_What have I done? I wish I could run Away from the ship going under_

Rachel froze. _What was the next line?_ Mentally stressing, she scrutinised her mind for the correct following lyrics, but the answers would not appear in her mind. As if the audience had only just appeared in the space, she heard a _very_ distinctive booing sound from the very back of the auditorium. The singular noise was soon followed by a cacophony of jeering and booing, all because she, Rachel Berry, could not remember the lyric to her own original song written about her entire life. About Finn, her dads, high school, musical theatre after high school and just everything she felt inside herself.

Never in the history of her life had Rachel Berry forgotten a lyric. The only time she had ever messed up a performance was when she had laryngitis during Glee rehearsal, and that wasn't even her fault. She had to carry the weight of the slacking Glee members—

 _Rachel, this is not of great importance right now! You need to either leave the stage or face the squashed tomatoes flying at your face, it's your choice_ , Rachel heard Kurt's voice reprimand her, but he was nowhere to be found.

Looking around the stage dizzily, Rachel chose the right wing and sprinted for it, only to run into Mr Schuester.

"Mr Schuester, thank goodness, something dreadful just—."

"I know, Rachel. I saw it."

"Thank Barbra you're here Mr. Schue, what do I do?"

"Rachel, you have just disappointed the entire team of the New Directions and McKinley High. You convinced me to let you write the music for the competition and then you go and forget the words and forget to arrange to have Brad perform it for you. You had no accompaniment and the lyrics were nowhere to be heard. Plus, you were a little sharp on the first verse. Even with _'Loser Like Me',_ there is absolutely no way that we could ever win Regionals now. I hope you can explain to the team why you've let everybody down and, for your sake, I hope they forgive you." Mr Schuester scowled at her before disappearing behind the curtain.

Rachel felt like crying. She could already feel the tears seeping silently down her face. She looked over at Finn and met his eye, looking for some comfort and support from her boyfriend. He just stared at her, shaking his head.

"No, Finn." Rachel whispered, crestfallen that she had managed to disappoint everybody, including Finn and Mr Schuester.

In a peculiar flash of violet light, Finn dissolved into a sludgy puddle as Rachel's world flipped upside down and threw her to the floor.

"No, I'm sorry. I'll do better next time." She whispered, knowing it was futile.

"Rachel Berry, if you don't wake up right now, I am going to personally find every item of your clothing with anything resembling a creature from the zoo and throw it into a bonfire along with your pantsuits because they're simply abhorrent." Kurt was gently slapping her face, yelling insults at her.

Her eyes fluttered open, coming to her senses.

That wasn't real.

Ugh, she should have known. Seriously, when did Rachel Berry forget the lyrics to her own song? She was sincerely gullible to have believed such a farce.

"Kurt, please stop yelling, I've been through enough today." She muttered, forgetting for a moment that it wasn't actually an event that had taken place.

Then what was it? She highly doubted that it was a dream, so maybe it could have been a vision or a fantasy sequence?

It was her worst nightmare.

"Berry, stop making everything about _you_. So you fainted, big deal. Other people are actually going through things here." Santana snapped, storming off, leaving Quinn and Brittany to jog after her, trying to calm her down. Rachel expected Kurt to run after her, but he stayed by her side and even helped her up. Was _this_ real? Kurt was actually being _nice_ to her. She certainly did not deserve it, she thought.

"You had a nightmare sequence didn't you?" Kurt guessed correctly.

Rachel gaped. "How did you—?"

"I know things. Well rather, I can sense when things are due to occur. I knew before it happened that we were going to crash today. That's why Sam was trying to stop the bus before we did, or rather didn't crash."

"Why are you being nice to me? I'm nothing but awful to you."

"True. Perhaps this is _my_ nightmare and you're my only friend." Kurt chuckled at himself, as did Rachel.

"Oh, that's hilarious, Kurt."

"In all seriousness, are you alright? Would you like to describe what happened as we walk?"

Rachel smiled at the boy. "Oh, it was awful. I was about to go on stage, but I thought it was actually Regionals and I had to perform my solo and then I had to sing acapella because the pianist wasn't there and I sounded disgusting and then forgot the words and everybody was booing me and it was dreadful. Then Mr Schuester told me that I had let everybody down and should feel bad about it."

Kurt clucked. "Well now you know for sure that it was a nightmare. Rachel, you're the last person that I would expect to let the side down. Hell, even I would make a mistake during a performance before you would. Performing is just embedded in your DNA or something. No matter how frazzled you are, you always seem to accomplish flawless performances, a skill that I would give anything for."

"Kurt, don't give me that. Your performances are always so well-rehearsed and polished to a perfect standard and your vocal range is something that anybody in this entire state would cut off limbs for. Don't knock yourself down and relinquish credit where credit is very much deserved." Rachel pointed out. She really did think that Kurt was an amazing performer.

"Well many thanks, Rachel. That was a lovely thing for you to say. I'm glad that I can impress you in some way." He offered his hand, which she gladly took.

"I have a strange feeling that we're in _Santana's_ nightmare. This is probably what she dreams about."

"Her nightmares involve a lot of your animal sweaters, Rach. As do mine." Kurt winked, and Rachel had not missed the subtle nickname he had inserted during his sentence. She smiled to herself.

They walked in silence for a while, using the time to think about the where, what, why and how questions that they were all deeply pondering.

Rachel did not have the answers, but she knew that she could get through anything that her nightmares threw at her.

Or at least she thought she could.


	5. Rejections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game continues...

Brittany was definitely confused by everything.

One minute they were on their way to Regionals, to hopefully win, and the next they were in this weird world where everything was black and dark. Brittany didn't like the dark. She preferred Disney movies where everything was bright and happy. This reminded her too much of a lot of horror movies where the protagonists were stuck in some hellish wasteland that nobody ever returned from alive or something like that.

Brittany shivered.

She didn't like scary movies much less being in a real life one. She clutched Santana's hand for extra comfort and suddenly felt a little bit better. It was like Santana held the key for everything that Brittany required to be a happy and cheerful individual. Whenever she was around Santana, everything was brighter and much more optimistic. Although Santana herself was not an optimistic person by any means, Brittany rather thought that she brought out that particular quality within her girlfriend. Santana brought a fierce, confident state of individuality and Brittany brought the calmness, peace and optimism. They worked well together; like a well-oiled machine. Brittany never quite got that expression. Wasn't the whole point of Miley Cyrus' _Can't Be Tamed_ album about not being a robot or a machine? So what was a better thing to be? Brittany didn't quite know, but she knew that she wanted to be the best version of herself that she could be. Santana and Kurt loved her a lot, so she figured that she was doing something right.

Kurtie was definitely something special to Brittany. Whenever he was around, he would always, without fail, manage to cheer her up. He would tell her that she was not stupid and was definitely worthy of going to college and making something of herself. Brittany craved a life of dancing but lacked the confidence and determination to actually make it in the field. Kurt had been slowly building up her self-esteem so that she could put her gift of movement into something that she would enjoy and treasure for the rest of her life. Keeping Kurt's confidence in her was something that Brittany felt was quite imperative in the grand scheme of things.

She did not know what she would do if she lost it.

She saw him walking up ahead with Santana and Quinn. It wasn't unusual for him to be with them, but there was something that Brittany couldn't quite place that was slightly off about the whole thing. It felt like there was a distortion in the air that changed how she perceived everything and, suddenly, her whole sight was altered.

"Kurtie!" She called, her face lighting up when he spun around, ready to greet her.

"What do you _want_ , Brittany?" His tone was acerbic and it struck Brittany like a knife, twisting itself around in her gut. Kurt was the only person on the planet who never used such a hateful tone when addressing. Even Santana got impatient and snappy with her. Kurt was perpetually patient and kind to her. It unsettled her to see him so hurtful.

"I haven't got all day, so stop being so slow and get to it." Kurt smirked. Brittany felt tears approaching her eyes. No, this wasn't happening. But it seemed so real, so it obviously must be real.

"Kurt, why are you being so mean?" Brittany asked politely. Santana intervened.

"Look, idiot, we have better things to do than stop and try to decipher what your miniscule brain is trying to communicate. If you're not going to say something of relative importance, just leave us the hell alone and learn English." The Latina chuckled mercilessly. Brittany gaped. Why was Santana being horrible to her? They were in love, weren't they? Brittany always suspected that she loved Santana far more than the latter loved her, so she figured that this confirmed as much. She knew that she would get bored with Brittany's lack of intelligence eventually.

"O-Okay, I'll just go. Sorry for bothering you." Brittany apologised, wanting to turn away before the tears started. Kurt and Santana turned away first and began whispering with Quinn.

"Why would she even _speak_ to us? She's nothing and we're far better than she will ever be. She should just take the hint already and stop looking at us." Quinn laughed viciously. Quinn, too? Brittany was overwhelmed now. She looked around the exterior space for Artie or Mike, who respected her and liked her enough to chat to her. Artie was smirking uncharacteristically at the exchange and Mike was opposite him, looking disgustedly at her, as though she had just spat on him or something.

Even Finn and Rachel were ignoring her. She liked both of them and did not really understand why Santana hated Rachel so much. Sure, she could be annoying at times, but she cared and she always tried really hard, so Brittany thought that that should earn her some points. Kurt and Santana both were passionate about a lot of things, as was Rachel. Finn was a nice boy, and was never mean to her, which Brittany liked immensely about the tall baritone.

"What's happening?" She whispered to nobody. The wind rushed past her hair with tremendous speeds and almost knocked her off balance. At this moment, Brittany didn't care wherever it took her. She wondered if she jumped, would the wind just carry her somewhere nicer with unicorns and rainbows. She was clearly not appreciated along with the rest of the Glee Club anymore. It was her actual worst nightmare.

Brittany frowned, pausing to catch a leaf that had drifted from a tree. In a peculiar turn of events, it melted in her hand, leaving the green residue splattered all over her hand. Her attention was grasped by the hue of the skies above, the evil black boring into her eyes. _This isn't what life is supposed to be like. The skies aren't always black and Kurt and Santana are nice to me_.

She thought back to how she had gotten to this point. She had been walking _with_ Kurt, Santana, Quinn and Rachel, rather than behind them. Suddenly, she was tailing them and they did not appreciate her company. That had happened so quickly that she had not been able to register how it had happened.

She could not quite fit the pieces together. Brittany stomped her foot in frustration, only for the path below her to crumble slightly. Curious, she chipped away at another fragment of it, digging her heel into the supposedly rigid material.

Soon enough, a small crevice opened up in the ground. Crouching down, Brittany peered through it, seeing a black vapour pour upwards towards her. It circled over her head, hissing noises erupting from the wispy substance. Brittany covered her head and bit her lip, protecting herself from whatever it was.

 _I want to go back._ Brittany wished for it really hard. She just wanted to return to when Santana and Kurt loved her and everybody was friendly.

She felt her footing slip from underneath her and, before everything faded to black, she fell through the unstable floor into whatever lay beneath.


	6. Try To Hide

Santana frowned, sticking her nose up high into the air, feeling the breezy gusts of wind wash over her. It was almost a calming sensation, feeling the extent of the natural world flood through her and dissipate into the atmosphere again. The fleeting grasp of the gale suddenly put her on edge. It was like something had clicked in a very short space of time. Something that was seemingly dissonant from the air of serenity she had just experienced.

Before her eyes, Kurt, Brittany and Quinn vanished. Like complete illusions they, just like the fragile wind, dissipated into the far-reaching environment around her. Speaking of which, Santana had absolutely no clue where she was. Everything looked the same all around her. The same black aura pulsating in the deep sky. The same fake green hues smattered across the landscape in a feeble attempt to restore some kind of pastoral livelihood to this scene. Santana rolled her eyes at the surrounding veneer that had established itself firmly whilst she was still adjusting. She half expected a sign to appear reading _Welcome to Hell: Please Don't Move Anything_ right in front of her. Or was the densely occupied excuse for greenery enough of a welcome mat to actually count as a redeeming quality in the godforsaken dystopia?

Santana was not in the slightest claustrophobic like Quinn was, but she could almost the murky walls of black closing in on her. She blamed her recent uncharacteristic attitudes on the humid air that was currently trying to drain all of her self-respect and brutal optimism. Not to be confused with Rachel's Berry annoying, peppy optimism which made Santana want to scoop out her eyes with rusty metallic spoons from her abuela's kitchen drawer.

Realising that she had no resolve or plausible solution as to how to return to her friends, Santana continued to walk, thinking about her abuela as she did.

Just last week, Santana was watching a documentary on the disapproval of homosexuality with her grandmother and was subjected to the endless tirade of invectives based upon one bystander's opinion that members of the same sex should be permitted to marry each other. Alma rambled on for twenty-five minutes about the sins and dysfunctional qualities of 'the rotten faggots', trying her very best not to wince or, worse, expose her very homosexual relationship with her soulmate, who happened to be a female too. Alma adored Brittany, but Santana knew that she would begin to hate her if she ever found out. It was just that sometimes the Latina could feel her secret chewing a sizable hole from the inside out, like a mutated worm feeding on her misery. She felt ashamed of herself for not just coming outright with her secret. Santana was not ashamed of Brittany by any means. No, quite the converse actually. She was proud of the blonde dancer for being proud of being exactly who she was, something Santana suspected she picked up from Kurt.

Ah, Kurt Hummel.

Kurt, for obvious reasons, had _not_ been introduced to Alma Lopez, even though he was probably Santana's best friend, well except for Brittany, who didn't really count in that category anymore in quite the same way. Kurt, she knew, would be able to handle himself around Santana's grandmother, but it was Alma that the girl didn't trust. She didn't trust her not to make disgusted diatribes about Kurt and 'his wicked ways'. Santana scoffed inwardly, almost mentally cringing at the pun that she knew only too well that Kurt would make from that. Just another reason that he could never play it straight. He had tried and failed the previous year, but he wasn't actually fooling anybody with that almost half-hearted display of heterosexuality. Santana had smelled the Marc Jacobs on him the first day she met him and, probably nastily and presumptuously, labelled him as the poster child for homosexual boys in high schools.

Shaking her head, Santana refused to think about the processes her mind had taken to lead her to this particular monologue with herself. All roads seemed to lead to Kurt these days. Every problem in her life was something that Kurt had overcome and made it through, although not lacking the physical and emotional scars from the journey. That scared the shit out of her.

The fact that somebody as strong and enduring as Kurt did not leave even freshman year without lasting damage really unsettled her. She did not consider herself in the same league as Kurt when it pertained to emotional strength. She would concede that he held more patience and self-respect than her and they both flowed from him in their multitudes on a daily basis. She had tried that, for a trial period, but that had crashed and burned only as soon as it had taken off for launch.

A figure just beyond her detailed eyesight caught Santana's attention. She could see the outline of the woman and it made her stomach roll with nervousness and fear.

Why was her abuela here?

_Where was here?_

If she didn't know where _here_ was, then how could her abuela have innocently stumbled upon a place which had no solid location?

"Hola, Santana." The older woman said shortly, as if she did not recognise her own granddaughter.

"Abuela, what are you doing here?" Santana questioned.

"The better question is 'what are you doing with your _life_ , Santana?'." Santana laughed mirthlessly at her own thoughts. So it would be one of _these_ conversations. Although Santana was extremely unaware of the direction the conversation would be taking.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Your _sin_ , girl. I've seen you with that _girl_ and I hope you know what a mistake you're making. There is going to be a lot of repentance in your near future if you don't stop what you are doing. Brittany used to be a sweet girl, but corrupting you is something I cannot forgive. What would God think of you?"

Santana scowled. So it was like _that_. "No idea. I don't believe in Him."

Alma gaped. "I know you are already miles from redemption, but that is no way to speak about the Lord. Blaspheming is just another step away from your spiritual acceptance, Santana. You are already _choosing_ this horrid lifestyle for yourself, which is by no means deemed acceptable, but now you claim that He doesn't exist. You are really pushing it, Santana. I hope you do not mean this in a serious manner."

"Oh, I do. I know God wouldn't create us to be intolerant of the choices of our loved ones. He would guide us to respect whatever and whoever we are programmed to love. He would not make you so hateful." Santana spat the last word like it was poison that was quickly filling her mouth.

"You will take that back, young lady. No, instead you can turn around and walk away. If you refuse to change your blasphemous, sinning ways then I cannot be around you. I cannot have you attempting to corrupt your family. Never return to my house again. People like _you_ are not welcome there. If you ever change your mind and you decide to redeem yourself, if the Lord ever decides to forgive you, you are more than welcome to return to my life. Your mother and father have the exact same viewpoints as me so do not try to coerce them into letting you stay. You have already done enough damage to the Lopez family name. What will the neighbours think of you, Santana? That is entirely your problem now. Do the right thing, Santana. You will regret it if you don't."

Santana's emotional gauge flickered between her ' _I-Really-Wish-To-Slap-You-Right-Now'_ level and her ' _I-Will-Not-Cry'_ one.

Being friends with Kurt had slowly made her accept and love herself, but Alma's cold, unfeeling rejection of her life had wounded her badly, although she would never dare to show it. If her own grandmother thought it was wrong, then who was she to be such a horrible person? If it weren't for her love for Brittany, then Santana would have strongly considered hiding herself away again, for her family's sake. But Brittany meant too much to her to walk away.

"Well then I guess this is goodbye. My sexuality is not a choice, it is my DNA. If you refuse to accept that, then I want nothing further to do with you." Santana's voice was quite shaky, as she found herself physically incapable of continuing, a large boulder forming in her throat. Any speech now would be scratchy and incoherent. With a short scowl, she turned and walked away, hearing the abuse hurled at her from behind her back.

"YOU ARE GOING TO HELL, SANTANA."

"YOU ARE LIVING IN SIN, SANTANA."

Right now, Santana did not care. As the lone tear slipped down her face, the world flipped on its already unstable axis. The black turned a shade lighter, the previously motionless plant life regained slow, unhealthy movements, as though all functionality was missing, but a fragment of it was hovering in the vicinity, waiting to be snatched up by the eagerly awaiting greenery.

The flip had seen the return of the Glee Club, Kurt and Rachel still conversing, Wheels and Asian locking lips while the latter rested her arms and Aretha moaning about something which was probably irrelevant, all of which made Santana want to retch.

However nothing turned her stomach more than what she noticed next.

Wheels. Asian. Other Asian. Aretha. Berry. Quinn. Schue. Mohawk. Hot Lips. Kurt. Lumps the Clown.

That made twelve people out of the thirteen that had stepped off of the bus crash.

Where the _fuck_ was Brittany?


	7. Fallen Angel

Brittany stumbled around the darkness, trying to establish her footing and then her location. She saw nothing, just like the previous state of detachment, but it was somehow different. The floor was illuminated, a defined outline helping her notice specific details about where she was standing.

She noticed the split of paths separating the different routes that she could take. Each looked identical, though with noticeably different carvings etched into the start. One looked like it was a bear's claw, grasping the hard concrete with determination. Another resembled a dolphin leaping out of the water majestically. The others resembled different animalistic images which Brittany could not decipher. The dolphin picture reminded her of Kurt, which brought a deep frown to her face. Where was everybody and why couldn't she get back to them? She was starting to panic now, her hands trembling wildly out of her control.

If she did not find her way back to the others…Brittany refused to even finish the thought. Calculating her options, she tried to establish if there was anybody else around. The darkness would make them almost impossible to spot, so she thought about sound.

"Hello? Is anybody there that can help me?" Her nervousness seeped into her voice, making it weaker than she liked.

A faint light twinkled in the distance, drawing her closer with its compelling attraction. A light in the darkness would bring anybody forward. Stepping across the murky flooring, Brittany edged slowly towards the light, her only hope in what could only be described as her very worst nightmare.

The light drew ever closer, its twinkle brightening with every step she took. When she eventually reached it, it was glowing and shimmering with a radiant beauty Brittany had never seen before. Blinking rapidly, Brittany cautiously reached out a hand to the light and ghosted the outline with her finger.

The world spun around her and she was enveloped by the gleam of the light and, with an audible grumble, she was gone.

Brittany landed at a spot which very heavily resembled a campsite, minus the tents. There was public toilet cubicles scattered around a large, open space. If it were any normal world, there would be grass spread out like a blanket for acres, but the blackness swallowed it all up like a plague. The next thing she noticed made her heart leap to the sky.

The Glee Club were sat on the floor, in a circle, holding each other as tightly as their muscles allowed. The circle proved that, despite their hardships, they could stick together in times of need. Brittany immediately noticed the omissions of her favourite two people in the world; Kurt and Santana. Where they were, she had no idea.

"Hi everyone! I don't know what happened to me, but I'm back." Brittany skipped over to them, expecting them to look over and welcome her back from wherever she had wandered off to.

But none of them even noticed her arrival.

This confused her. It didn't look like they were actively trying to ignore her so what was the problem?

"No sign of her anywhere." A solemn, familiar voice whispered from behind Brittany. The Glee Club turned to face her. She waved at them all, but they were looking directly past her head at the people behind her.

Brittany turned to find Kurt clutching a broken-looking Santana.

"Kurtie!" Brittany yelled and flung herself at him, tears suddenly spilling from her eyes. Kurt immediately stiffened but did not respond.

"Kurt? What's wrong?" Quinn asked, looking worried.

Kurt's gaze faltered for a short second. Brittany released him. "Oh, um, nothing. I just caught a breeze which made me shiver but it's gone."

Brittany's bottom lip trembled. Santana stumbled out into the circle, mumbling something repeatedly.

"Santana?" Quinn reached out for her hand, which was immediately retracted.

Santana again mumbled something unintelligible.

"What?"

"She's dead." It was a soft whisper, but it had the power of a million voices all shouting in a unified manner. It sounded more like a chorus of singing voices, all belting to an audience. It was not something that resembled a whisper. There was so much weight and pain behind the words that Santana doubted that she could put any more volume behind them.

"Brittany's dead."

The Glee Club got to their feet, all trying to hug Santana and fuss over her. Quinn looked to Kurt, who shook his head and smiled sadly.

Brittany, meanwhile, was trying to process the information. She wasn't _dead_. She was right here. She felt Kurt approach her side, quietly.

"I'm not dead!" She complained to nobody in particular. She grasped her hand.

"I know." Kurt whispered back to her. She didn't understand how nobody could hear her but Kurt could. Brittany had a distinct feeling that Kurt was lying to her.

"Tell Santana I'm not dead! I don't want her thinking that I'm dead when I'm not! I'm not, right?" The blonde girl was crying now, the emotion of her apparent death and Santana's breakdown overwhelming her. Kurt sighed softly, his index finger tracing small circles around her palm.

"Honey, it's not as simple as that. You're not dead. But you're also not alive. I don't know exactly what's going on here, but this is definitely not reality. You're not dead, sweetie but…" Kurt's voice cracked before he exhaled gently. "It's probably better for Santana to _think_ that you are, rather than having her kill herself from exhaustion trying to find you. You saw the light, right?"

"I touched it." Brittany said, feeling a guilty and wondering if her curiosity had in fact killed _her_ , rather than the cat.

Kurt bit his lip. "That was a portal to the afterlife, sweetie. You were lingering in limbo for a while and you either had to pass on or wake up. You were stuck in your nightmare so nobody could find you to wake you up. We've been searching for a long while but it was only then that I realised that you were gone. I...I think that when you die in a nightmare, you die forever. I hate this. Honey, I'm sorry I didn't protect you better. It should not have been like this." Kurt cried softly.

"Kurtie it's not your fault. How were you supposed to protect me if you were in a different universe, so to speak? There was nothing that you could have done."

"What was your nightmare, honey? I didn't see."

Brittany did not really want to inform him, but she was dead; she couldn't exactly embarrass herself or whatever she was afraid of. "You and Santana didn't like me anymore," Brittany said. It sounded completely stupid and irrational in her head. "You said that I was slow and Santana called me stupid. You didn't want me around and I had nobody else. That's what it's like though. I mean, I'm nice enough to everybody but without you and Santana, I'm all alone. I guess that doesn't really matter now, does it? I'm dead, what do friends matter now? I'm alone again."

"Brittany, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You know that Santana and I adore you more than anything in the world. So does Quinn. And Sam. Artie. Tina. Mike. Finn. Mercedes. Noah. Even Rachel loves you. The Glee Club all love you. You're never alone, even when you think you are. You see how upset Santana is? It's because she couldn't save you. She thinks that she's let you down, as she predicted. Sweetie, you're loved by everyone. Even the jocks love you, and that's saying a lot considering I'm flawless and they despise me." Brittany chuckled a little at that. "Touching you allows me to be only with you, Britt. They can't see or hear me now. I've made it so that they see me just sitting down and they know not to bother me. I can be with you for as long as you need me to be. If you don't want me around, just let go. Or I will, it's up to you."

"Kurtie?"

"Yes, Britt?"

"Don't let go."


	8. I Want You With Me

" _Don't let go."_

"I won't, I promise. If my hand gets clammy, I'll just swap." Kurt giggled.

"Kurt, how can you talk to me right now? Nobody else can."

"Well, you know that I get weird feelings when bad things happen? I've theorised that this world flips them around and helps me _respond_ to bad things happening rather than just see them happening. When you…died, I felt something. I didn't tell Santana, which I probably should have. It was like a ball of lead in my stomach. It was really heavy and I just pretended to be exhausted so I could sit down and think. I knew it was you. We were out looking for you and then I felt it. When we got back and you hugged me, I didn't respond because they would see. I hoped you would stay so that we could talk."

They were circling around the campsite now. Kurt could Sam and Mike sitting with his broken form, hugging him. Kurt smiled at the sight and concentrated back on Brittany, who had a question bubbling on her tongue.

"Do you think you guys will get back to our real world?"

Kurt hummed. "Good question. I was thinking about this before after Rachel's nightmare. I honestly believe we will. There's no such thing as a one way door. We got here somehow, we can get back. I've got to have hope right? For everybody else at least."

"There's a one way door in Monster's Inc. isn't there?" Brittany smiled excitedly.

"Technically, yeah, I guess there is."

They fell quiet for a beat.

"Who else has had nightmares?"

"It's just Quinn and Noah, Rachel, you and Santana." Brittany's heart broke.

"What was Santana's about?"

"It was her grandmother. She disowned Santana and told her she was a sinner and that you had corrupted her and all of Alma's usual ramblings. Santana acted okay afterwards, but I know she's deeply hurting about it. Even though she knew that it wasn't real, it cut her heart."

Brittany sobbed. "She loves her abuela more than most people. To hear such words must be awful for her. I want to hold her and tell her that I still love her and that nobody can touch us as long as we've got each other but now I can't. I hate being dead!"

Kurt chuckled softly. "I doubt anyone enjoys being dead, Britt. I know what you mean, though. You want to be there for her. You can be, still. She'll know you're watching her. You could even write her little notes and mirror messages. Once I tell her that I can speak to you, I'll talk for both of you."

"Like _Ghost_!"

"Exactly."

"But Kurt? Once you guys return to our world, you won't be able to talk to me, will you?" Brittany posed a good point.

"That's…a very astute insight, Britt. I guess I won't be. I'll always know that you're around. So, until we get back, I'll be with you." Brittany shook her head.

"No, Kurtie. You can't stay here with me being dead when your friends and boyfriend are hurting. Think of them, Kurt. But that doesn't mean that you can't be with me sometimes. Like when your body is asleep, I'll come and hold your hand so your body can rest, but you can stay with me.

"I'd like that." Kurt smiled, but then his small grin froze on his face. His back arched and he stiffened completely, motionless.

"Kurtie? What is it?"

"Don't you feel that? The change in the air? It means that a nightmare is coming. And I think I know who it's for. I love you so much, sweetie, but I need to be with everybody else for this one."

Brittany nodded. "I understand. Go and help Sam."

"How did you—?"

"He's your weak spot. You would do anything for him. Now go. I love you. I'll see you later when you're asleep."

"I love you, boo."

"Good luck."

Kurt released Brittany's hand and was suddenly awakened in the arms of Sam and Mike. The two pairs of strong arms did not realise that they were squashing him.

"Guys, I need oxygen." Kurt choked out quietly. They pulled back, releasing him. Sam had a firm hold of his hand.

"Kurt, you're…okay?"

"Yes, I just needed a minute to collect my thoughts. It shouldn't happen again. I'm sorry for scaring you both."

"No worries, Kurt. As long as you're okay." Mike spoke softly, then left Kurt and Sam to each other, not wanting to be awkwardly lingering in a couple's conversation.

"It's good that you're awake. Tina thought that you had turned into a recluse hibernating mammal and Finn thought you were now boneless and couldn't lift your head up." Sam laughed, though the usual spark was gone.

"Sam, are you feeling okay? Any headaches or nausea?"

"Um, yes, why? I'm fine."

"No reason. But let me know if you feel anything abnormal. But, for now? Just hold me." They embraced, grasping onto each other for support.

A short time later, Sam pulled back and looked startled.

"Kurt, not to panic you but I'm feeling this really intense migraine suddenly in the back of my head. What's happening?"

Kurt bit his lip. "Baby, it will all be fine, I promise. Just breathe and don't let go of my hand, okay? Can you do that for me?" Sam nodded curtly and firmly held his boyfriend's hand, feeling the pain in his head reach a crescendo.

"Kurt's it's _burning_. I don't know what to do. Help me."

"Sam you're going to feel like you're in a different place, so just remember that I'm okay and that I love you." Kurt winced, hating that his boyfriend was feeling such a potent pain.

"I love you, too." Sam muttered, clutching his head with his free hand. His eyes abruptly glazed over and it looked like he was being transported to a different place. Kurt sighed and kissed the corner of his mouth chastely before everything turned on its head and exploded into the air.


	9. Did You Hear The Rain?

Sam's eyes rolled back into his head as the world turned tumultuously around him.

When he looked around, there was nobody around. None of the Glee Club. Kurt, who was _just_ holding his hand, was no longer present, having disappeared somewhere that Sam could not think of right now.

"Kurt?" He called into the big, open space. His voice carried into the blackness and echoed loudly around him. Sam blinked, wondering where Kurt got to, and began to walk.

He mentally counted his steps to pass the time spent looking for Kurt. _One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten._

"SAM?" Kurt's unmistakeable sounded from a distant way away from where Sam was walking. He picked up his pace. _Eleven. Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty_. His heavy footfalls resonated loudly in the vast wasteland of darkness.

"KURT!" Sam had spotted him. He was walking with his back to Sam, his pace increasing with every step that Sam took. Sam inhaled deeply and took off running after Kurt. It was like of those horrible daydreams when you can't quite reach what you're running after. They just keep getting further away until you are resigned to the fact that you're never catching up to them.

"SAM?" Kurt still had not noticed that Sam was running directly behind him, which the blonde boy found extremely disconcerting, especially in his current state of mind. Everything had just disappeared and suddenly he was running after Kurt, who could not notice him. Sam laughed bitterly as a comparison to the start of the year took shape in his mind. Sam had chased Kurt, but had continuously rejected him, not believing that he was gay, thinking that Sam or Finn had instigated a plot to humiliate the gay kid by getting his hopes up that the hottest guy in school had a crush on him. Sam had had to ask to kiss him and then follow through with the action to even partially convince Kurt that he had feelings for him. Kurt had laughed loudly when Sam had kissed him, thinking that he had been dreaming. Sam still remembered the exact volume, pitch and duration of that laugh, the very one that had solidified his already very potent feelings for the blushing countertenor.

A snigger caught Sam's attention. In his nostalgic stupor, he had not noticed the fact that Kurt had been joined by two blackly attired figures, one either side of him. They were both taller than him and beefier. They looked menacing and threatening standing next to him. Sam took off running once more, desperate to help Kurt.

The left man grasped Kurt into a tight headlock, forcing his head down, impacting it with his knee, sharply hitting Kurt's nose.

 _No!_ Sam internally screamed _. Please don't hurt him. His beautiful face..._

He knew that screaming aloud would alert the attackers (well, if they noticed him) so he settled on sprinting and fighting them off without them knowing that he was there. The second man brought his foot upwards and struck Kurt's stomach. Kurt was doubled over, the first man having released him quickly, and they resumed into beating him up. Kurt stood his ground, looking as beautiful and majestic as ever, before the second man produced something from his pocket that made Sam's stomach turn ferociously. He was running, but they seemed to move at a pace parallel to his. He would never reach them. Sam did not stop running, however, desperate to stop them.

The man held the cold steel of the gun against Kurt's temple threateningly. Kurt visibly tensed.

"SAM, HELP ME! PLEASE!" Kurt screamed, before the first man wrapped a firm hand around Kurt's mouth, stifling his screams.

Kurt's pain was tearing Sam's heart right out of his chest. He couldn't physically do anything to help Kurt, which was killing him. _Kurt, I'm sorry I can't get to you_.

The echo of the gunshot ricocheted wildly around the area, ringing in Sam's ears like a haunting melody that would not relent. Kurt's motionless form crumpled to the floor sickeningly. The men vanished in a glow of purple light.

The barrier that Sam was pushing against collapsed invisibly. His automatically moved feet carried him to Kurt's slumped body. The shot to the temple had been instantaneous. Kurt was dead. Yet Sam refused to believe it was true. Not now. They had so many more adventures left.

"Kurt, no you can't die on me now. Not now. We've only just gotten together. I love you so much. We're leaving for New York at the end of next year. You're going to Julliard and I'm going to NYU. It's our plan, Kurt. It's all we've got. It's all _I've_ got. You're everything to me. You don't realise how much you mean to me. I can't live without you. It sounds melodramatic but now I can't imagine a life where you're not there every day to correct my algebra homework or tear up at American Idol. I don't want to live in a world where I can't hear your laugh anymore. Where will I belong now? I was made to be with you, Kurt. Please don't give up on me. FIGHT. FIGHT. KURT, I SWEAR TO THE GOD YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT IF YOU DON'T FIGHT, I WILL KILL YOU. Please." The last word slipped out as a broken whisper, a defeated Sam struggling to overcome the tears that poured freely from his eyes.

From a distant space away from the boys, Brittany watched in horror as her best friend's spirit left his body. It floated up and suddenly Kurt was right there.

"Kurt, you're here."

"I know, Britt. I died, too. I guess this paradoxic world punishes us for loving. Sam loves me and it would kill him if I died, so it kills me in punishment."

"You can go back, though right. Look, there's the light. Just don't approach it. Hold on to me."

"You know it's not that simple, Britt. I was shot in the temple. I can't come back from that unless something miraculous happens and we both know that my Atheism means that God isn't going to do me any favours anytime soon. I have to go..."

"Kurt Hummel, you listen to me. I will absolutely not have Santana and Sam both mourning the loss of their soulmates. You _will_ return because Sam needs you. Because Santana, Quinn, Rachel and Mike need you. You have no idea how much I am selfishly wanting you to stay with me so that I'm not alone, but you can't. You _can_ go back."

"There's no way back, sweetie. I'm with you for the long haul. Remember what I said to you before..."

"You...you said that when you die in a nightmare, you die in reality. Gone, just like that. And Sam had to watch. That was painful to see. He lives for you. You are his everything."

"And he is mine. He will never truly understand how much I feel for him, he can only speculate. I love him like nobody else. My death will hurt him deeply, I'm sure, but I will be able to watch over him. To protect him and to listen to him. I'll be there every day. Just like you will for Santana. We have to go."

Kurt put one foot in front of the other, walking slowly, as though he expected to change his mind or for Brittany to bring up a convincing point to make him reconsider. Instead, she walked solemnly behind him, lips pursed as though refraining from saying something that she desperately wanted to pose.

"Well...here goes."

Kurt reached a trembling hand in front of himself and cautiously touched the now brightly glimmering light.


	10. The Kingdom Where Nobody Dies

Kurt opened his eyes to scene of bright lights. He hadn't expected to feel this sensation again, pure white light flooding into his vision. He saw people crowded around him, looking at him in a peculiar manner.

Logic told him that he was in Heaven (or Hell) with people in packs, looking at the newest addition to the afterlife of the dead. The first face he made out was Brittany, obviously. She was the only person that he was with when he died so she would of course be with him. He looked around, trying to stamp on the vines of hope that had coiled around him when he thought of seeing his mother again. The fact that Brittany was there clued him in that he was in Heaven, so his mother would surely be there too. Wasn't there somebody to inform deceased relatives when their family joined them at the big tea party in the sky?

"Brittany." He said simply. "Thank God you're here."

Brittany frowned back at him, confusing him dearly. The other faces were slowly becoming more detailed and he easily spotted the features of the person he was most conscious about leaving behind.

But wait. If he was dead...surely not. Sam would not have killed himself in order to be with Kurt. He had has parents, Stevie and Stacy, his school friends. Kurt was not a priority compared to them.

"Sammy. Why are you here?"

"Um, Kurt are you okay? Do you know where you are?" Kurt's eyelids were slightly heavy, but he was sure that there was no reason for such concern.

"What's wrong with him?" A familiar raspy voice sounded from behind Sam and Brittany.

"Santana?"

"Who else, Fairy Cake? Were you expecting somebody else?" She questioned, half serious.

"How did you die?"

Santana froze in shock. "What the fuck are you talking about, Rainbow?"

Kurt blinked, appraising his surroundings more carefully.

"Oh my God." He whispered.

He was on the school bus that was taking them to Regionals. Sam was sat next to him and the entire club had gathered around him for some odd reason. Either this was a very cruel death manipulation vision or the nightmarish bloodbath world had never happened. Kurt was foolishly betting on the latter.

Then it clicked.

"Shit. Holy shit. No. MOVE." Kurt commanded. Gathering control of his senses, Kurt dashed to the front of the bus, confronting the driver, who was indeed back on his station.

"Let us off. Right now. I don't want any arguments just LET US OFF THE FUCKING BUS." The bus driver paled.

"No, sorry. School orders. We're already running late. You need to get to Regionals."

"Kurt, what's happening?" Mr Schuester consulted him.

"Mr Schue, we need to get off the bus. You probably think I'm crazy and there's good reason for that but you _have_ to trust me. I...sometimes have premonitions and weird feelings when bad things are about to happen. I had one and then all of a sudden the bus crashed but we were stuck in this strange world where nightmares came true and...some people died. Now I'm back here and it's going to happen. It was a premonition I'm telling you."

"Dude, what have you been smoking. I want what you're on."

Kurt glared at Noah.

"This is no time for joking around, Noah, this is serious. Please. Trust me." Kurt made his way to Sam.

"Sam. Have you ever had a nightmare about me being attacked and held at gunpoint while you're trying your best to reach me but then they shoot me anyway?"

"That's creepy, that's exactly the dream I had last night. It was horrible. Kurt, I believe you, you know that. Mr Schue, if Kurt says we're in danger, we need to leave."

Mr Schue began to chat with the bus driver.

"Quinn, I'm sorry. Beth was there. I'm not going to replay the details, but it wasn't nice. Rachel, yours was...less dramatic but still frightening for you. You forgot the words to your solo at Regionals and lost the competition and everyone was disappointed."

"Now I _know_ you're right. I dreamed that last night. But I would never forget these words. We'll win."

"We're not going to even make the competition if we stay on this bus." Kurt turned to the driver and Mr Schuester.

"I swear to God I will punch you so hard in the face that your nose will break if you don't let us off the bus." Kurt said in a low growl.

"Kid, I'm doing what I'm paid to do."

"You don't understand."

"The hell I don't. You're a psychotic teenager having a drug withdrawal. Yeah, I used to be you, kid."

"THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS IS. WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE IF YOU KEEP DRIVING." Suddenly, Sam was at his side, clutching his hand for support.

Kurt looked out of the window and noticed the last thing that he saw in his premonition on the bus. The sign. That was it. The end was coming.

Kurt growled and firmly squeezed Sam's hand.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Kurt. Always and forever."

"Don't forget me." Sam nodded, seeming to understand from Kurt's meticulously formed expressions that there was no way back and they would all die, reliving their nightmares until they were all gone.

"I'll never forget you. You're my world."

Kurt looked to Santana, Brittany and Quinn, as well as the entire group.

"Well, I did everything I could but it looks like we're doomed. I love you all. You gave me a place to go when I felt like I didn't belong. You gave me friendship and compassion. I found friends and I found romance in Glee Club. I'm sincerely grateful for everything you've all given me, even my plethora of headaches from you, Rachel." Kurt chuckled dryly.

Everybody hugged each other, finally believing Kurt's story and sharing one last look.

Kurt caught Brittany's eye, then Santana's and then Quinn's.

"I love all three of you."

"Kurt, the afterlife is going to keep us apart. We're partners in perdition, remember?" Santana laughed, as did everybody.

Sam kissed Kurt's lips passionately. "You ready?" The former asked.

"No."

"Me neither."

**BAM.**


End file.
